28t) BULLETIN OF THJ: UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



monly the case. This secures a steadier aim, the injurious angle is de- 

 creased, and makes a much longer extent of gut line possible. The 

 l)lace where the gut line touches the point of the shank is much less 

 exposed to any motion, and the frequent breaking of the gut at this 

 point is avoided. These hooks, however, are as a general rule only 

 suited to such bait as will cover the entire shank. It certainly speaks 

 well for these hooks that they were almost simultaneously adopted both 

 in England and America. 



2. Warner's ueedleeye hooks. The new catalogae of J. Warner & 

 Sons, Kedditch, shows a whole series of diflereutly constructed spring 

 double hooks (eight in number). Other hooks of this kind have been 

 known in Germany for some time; a hook of a particularly practical 

 construction was exhibited at Berlin by the firm of Bradford & Anthony, 

 of Boston, Mass. 



The same firm has introduced a hook which substitutes an entirely 

 new principle for the beard. As the tongue which takes the jjlace of 

 the beard -acts like a spring, the mouth of the fish will, in biting, slip 

 past the point of the tongue, almost without meeting with any resist- 

 ance, and from that moment any loosening of the hook by accident be- 

 comes impossible. Unless something tears or breaks, the fish is hope- 

 lessly caught. The considerable angle of this hook will give no trouble, 

 considering the ease with v.iiich the slender point enters ; in fact, it 

 proves an advantage, because the catching capacity of the hook is 

 thereby considerably increased. The ])rinciple underlying this hook is 

 doubtless very ingenious, and unless unforeseen difficulties hinder its 

 practical application, we probably stand at the threshold of a new 

 epoch in the history of the fish-hook. 



147.— CAliIFORlVSA TU05JT PI^AIVTEW irv KOAIVOKE RIVER flIV jeJI.Y, 



1SS3, RETAK.E1V IIV JUNE, 1SS4. 



By MARSHALL. McBOl^ALD. 



There was received to-day, by express, from Capt. J. W. Snmpter, 

 Big Spring, Roanoke County, Virginia, a California trout weighing, 

 when fresh, about 10 ounces. This was taken in Eoanoke River in the 

 vicinity of Big Spring, and is one of 50 planted therein in July, lb83, 

 having been hatched at Wytheville, Va., in March, 18S2, from eggs 

 taken at Baird Station, California, and forwarded by express to V\"ythe- 

 ville. 



Captain Sumpter states that this is the third trout taken, the others 

 having been returned to the river. He says there are a great many 

 small ones, about an inch long, in the branch and the pond, running in 

 schools of 10 or 15 each. 



Washington, D. C, June 16, 1884. 



